It’s not easy being a writer.
At least it isn’t for me. It involves a lot of lonely hours, days, weeks months, and…etc. That’s the beginning. A writer needs these qualities: inspiration, perseverance, the gift of telling a good story.
The IWSG is an amazing blogging group, and much much more, and offers everyone support when needed. All a writer has to do is sign up, and the hard part is—putting yourself out there.
My writing journey began many years ago, and I went through an inordinate amount of mistakes along the arduous path. For me, who never took a college course in creative writing, I learned the old fashion way by reading, reading, reading, and hitting the internet to learn the process of what’s next.
The querying process is difficult and depressing. It's imperative that a querying writer develops a suit of armor. I had acquired a newbie agent, at that time. (now she’s doing well) She couldn’t sell two of my manuscripts. I eventually published with a wonderful small press. They still have two of my books, and I got the rights back for all the rest.
After many years, I am now happy being a self-published author. I like the control I have over my books, but still despise the marketing aspect. Even a traditional author has to market their books.
Needless to say, self-publishing costs $. I always recommend a professional editor, cover artist, and formatter. You can publish without these essentials, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
With that said, what say you? What are your quandaries concerning the writing process and so on?
Have you considered Self-Publishing?
Working with a Small Press?
Querying until the cow jumps over the moon… 😃
I've been happy with my small press!
ReplyDeleteThat's Great!!! I loved mine too, but then somebody else took over...
DeleteI never took a writing class in high school or college either. And you're right that you have to have a suit of armor to go through the depressing querying process. It can be brutal. I'm glad you're happy with the path you chose.
ReplyDeleteThank you Natalie.
DeleteMoney, mostly. I self publish, and so must pay for the important parts (graphic designer and formatter, as I do not format my own stuff). I have grown over the years with my writing, via advice and my own blogging, but it's been a tough journey.
ReplyDeleteYes exactly!!
DeleteI like the old-fashioned way of learning to write. Congrats on sticking it out and publishing your books.
ReplyDeleteI took a couple of creative writing classes in college. The poetry class was pretty good, but the fiction-writing class left me with a feeling that the goal was to mold me into a particular kind of writer, not to help me to be good at being the writer I am (let's just say that genre fiction and humor were too clearly not "real writing").
ReplyDeleteI self-publish, and pay for a good cover artist, but handle the rest with barter and exchanges, since much as I'd like to pay a professional editor, I'd never earn out on that. I keep reading and trying to learn more about the writing process and how to craft a good book, and that will have to do.